Learning about the Métis culture - MÉTIS LIKE ME

One of the things I love about reading children’s books is the opportunity to learn new things. I was delighted to find this book. It gave me a chance to learn more about the Métis culture. I discovered this book after seeing it mentioned in the children’s book recommendation feed on Bluesky. (Find me on Bluesky: @andreamack.bsky.social).

Why this book?

At first, I was first drawn to the playful illustrations, but I especially loved the way the book shows how different children experience their culture and celebrate their heritage. It's unique in the way it honors different perspectives and experiences. 

My thoughts as a creator:

I haven't seen a picture book told with the perspectives and voices of several different children. I thought this structure was a good way to bring in the idea that individuals experience their culture and heritage in different ways. 

My thoughts as an educator:

This book provides a window into a culture and heritage that I don't know much about myself, so I'm looking forward to sharing it with my grade 1 students. I think they will find many different ways to connect to this story. I also really liked the positive approach to learning more about your own cultural background, even if you don't know much about it. I think this would inspire some young children to ask questions about their own heritage. 

Ages: 4 - 9

Grades: K - 3

Connections: Metis culture, Indigenous learning, individuality,  

Activities:

Social Studies:  Make a list with students: What are some of the elements of Métis culture that you noticed in the story? What are some important aspects of your own culture? Encourage students to draw or write about an aspect of their own culture. Why is it important to you?

STEAM: Explore some Métis dot designs. I found this really interesting explanation and demonstration of Metis dot art with some background information from Lacombe Tourism (click HERE) . I also found a shorter video with a dot art drawing activity from Richmond Art Gallery (click HERE). 

Visit the author online (click on the name):

Tasha Hilderman 🍁

Visit the illustrator:

Risa Hugo 🍁

Visit the publisher:

Tundra Books (Penguin Random House) 🍁

I also found this news interview with the author from CITL CKSA:

WORDS AND YOUR HEART by Kate Jane Neal - a picture book about the power of words

Why read this book?

Many picture books about using kind words are not this direct. But for me, the simple and stylish presentation here made the direct approach really effective. 

The key message in this story is about the power of words. When I read this to my kindergarten students, they leaned in and listened a little more closely than usual. I think they could really connect to this book, since at times they may feel small and powerless, with adults making decisions for them. 

Summary from Amazon: 

This book is about your heart (the little bit inside of you that makes you, you!)

The words we listen to can affect how we feel.

Some words can do amazing things and make us happy.

And some words can really hurt us (we all know what sort of words those are).

Our words have power, and we can choose to use them to make the world a better place.

Simple, direct, and emotive, Words and Your Heart’s message is that words have extraordinary power–to harm and to heal, to create and to destroy, and to spread love.

I was lucky to find this copy of Words and Your Heart by Kate Jane Neal, published by Feiwel and Friends, at my local library, but it's one I'm considering buying for my classroom. 

My thoughts as a creator: 

"This book is about your heart." What a great way to begin! I really liked the conversational tone of this book. The art style makes use of lots of white space and the limited color palette of black, grey and red made the illustrations and the simple, but powerful ideas on each stand out. I loved the cute cartoon-style characters -- the drawings are so expressive!

My thoughts as an educator:

The idea of how powerful words are is a key concept in learning about anti-racism and bullying. This book would be a great way to introduce any lessons on bullying and especially thinking about word choices. I also really liked the focus on the uniqueness of each individual. It could be really fun and effective to pair this up with learning about superheroes and powers.

Age Range: 3 -7

Activities:  

Writing & Art: Make a list of amazing words! What words make you feel good? Which words make you feel powerful? Put your word in the centre of a heart shape and add colour using your favourite colours and choice of medium. This would work really well with complimentary colours to make the word pop! 

Writing & Reading: Students could make a small drawing to illustrate a powerful word they chose for a class book. Place the class book where students can read it whenever they wish.

Social-Emotional Learning: Try a random act of kindness! Think of something you could say with your words to make someone else feel happy. Write it on the back of a happy face or a heart and deliver it to a  random student in another class, somewhere else in your school. Or create a bulletin board display of words and phrases that could lift others up.

Additional Resources: 

For another perspective and more activities to go with this book, visit Kiddos and Crayons. 

BECOMING VANESSA by Vanessa Brantley Newton - a book about starting school and being yourself

 

It’s great to see a book that shows kids the way they are, with the things they notice and the way they actually talk! I especially loved the scenes with her family and how they quietly supported her. Another great back-to-school story that is also good for a preschool or kindergarten classroom book collection. 

 

Summary from the publisher: 

On Vanessa’s first day of school, her parents tell her it will be easy to make friends. Vanessa isn’t so sure. She wears her fanciest outfit so her new classmates will notice her right away. They notice, but the attention isn’t what she’d hoped for. As the day goes on, she feels more self-conscious. Her clothes are too bright, her feather boa has way too many feathers, and even her name is too hard to write.

The next day, she picks out a plain outfit, and tells her mom that her name is too long. She just wants to blend in, with a simple name like the other girls–why couldn’t her parents have named her Megan or Bella? But when her mother tells her the meaning behind her name, it gives her the confidence she needs to introduce her classmates to the real Vanessa.  

Becoming Vanessa by Vanessa Brantley Newton was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2021. 

 

My thoughts as a creator:

This is a great mentor text for writers and illustrators! This book gave me insights into creating voice and creating believable side characters. I especially liked how the other kids in the class were curious and blunt, but didn’t come across as mean. Vanessa Brantley Newton is a master at using details to add personality and interest to her stories and to her illustrations. 

My thoughts as an educator:

 I liked this different take on a back-to-school story. I’m looking forward to sharing this with my kindergarten students and discussing how the main character’s clothes expressed her personality and feelings. Vanessa solves her problem in her own way, even though her family is there to support her.  

Ages: 3-7

Grades: preschool – grade 2

Themes: starting school, feelings, being yourself

 Activities:

Family connections: Ask you parents what your name means or why they gave you your name. How do you feel about that?

Writing: What is your favorite thing to wear? How do you feel when you are wearing it? Draw a picture of yourself in your favorite outfit.

Math Connections: How many butterflies are in this book? Count them! Draw a picture of your own with lots of butterflies (or caterpillars) to count.

Social-Emotional Learning: What do you do when you don’t feel like talking about something yet? Discuss. 

 

Additional Resources for Educators:

 On KidLit TV, Vanessa Brantley Newton discusses her life and her art style:

Here she teaches us how to make collage art!

 

UNDER MY HIJAB: A story about different ways to express yourself by Hena Khan & Aaliya Jaleel

I was really interested to learn about the hijab and all the different ways it can be worn!

Summary from Amazon:

Grandma's hijab clasps under her chin. Auntie pins hers up with a whimsical brooch. Jenna puts a sun hat over hers when she hikes. Iman wears a sports hijab for tae kwon do. As a young girl observes the women in her life and how each covers her hair a different way, she dreams of the possibilities in her own future and how she might express her personality through her hijab.

With cheerful rhyming text by the author of Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, and charming illustrations from a talented newcomer, Under My Hijab provides a friendly introduction to hijabs for all readers, and celebrates the many Muslim women and girls who choose to wear them.

Under My Hijab was written by Hena Khan and illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel. It was published in 2019 by Lee & Low Books.

Opening:    

 

Grandma peeks into the oven

as a brown loaf of bread starts to rise.

Her hijab is carefully folded,

like the crusts on my favorite pies.

My Thoughts as a Writer:

One of the things I found intriguing about this text was the structure. Each woman or girl is shown first in one situation wearing a hijab, and then in a situation without it. I haven’t seen many picture books written this way, but I like the way it allows the reader to compare the situations easily. I really enjoyed the way the women are shown with many different roles and interests.

My Thoughts as an Educator:

This is a great book for talking about individual differences and cultural or religious traditions. I loved how each character expressed themselves differently through their clothing.

Ages: 4-9

Grades: K – 3

Themes: individual differences, women, traditional clothing

Activities:

Dramatic Play: Provide pieces of cloth for children to fold and experiment with wearing.

Draw & Write: Do you have a favourite piece of clothing? Draw a picture of it. What makes it special to you?  (Educators could hang the drawings around the classroom for a “gallery walk” as a basis for more discussion on individual differences.)

STEAM Challenge: Design a piece of clothing that can be worn on the head – a head scarf, hat or hair accessory. What patterns and colours could you include? Draw your design first, and then try to make it using paper, cloth and other materials.

MY SHAPE IS SAM by Amanda Jackson & Lydia Nichols – A book about being yourself

It’s always wonderful to discover picture books that work on many different levels. Every time I read this book, new connections and thoughts crept into my mind. An excellent choice for a preschool or kindergarten classroom.

Summary from Amazon:

In a world where everybody is a shape and every shape has a specific job, Sam is a square who longs for softer corners, rounder edges, and the ability to roll like a circle. 

But everyone knows that squares don’t roll, they stack. At least that’s what everyone thinks until the day Sam takes a tumble and discovers something wonderful. He doesn’t have to be what others want or expect him to be.

With playful imagery, this story considers identity and nonconformity through the eyes of Sam, a square struggling to find his true place in the world.

Opening:     

Sam had four even sides.

Four pointy corners.

And like all other squares, he was a builder.

My Thoughts as a Writer:

This is a great book to study because it works on several different levels. There is a lot to consider about shapes and their properties, individuality, being yourself, being brave enough to do what you love, and persisting to reach a goal. It was refreshing that the conflict didn't come from Sam's friends making negative comments. The other shapes celebrated his accomplishments right along with him, even though he was doing something different. It was great to have such a positive feeling from a story. 

The illustrations are fun and I loved how the shapes came alive through their expressions. It’s clear that a lot of care was put into the design of this book, right down to the corners of the pages.

My Thoughts as an Educator:

As an educator, I'm always looking for good books about shapes and how they fit together. I really liked the message of being yourself. This book offers many possibilities for discussion, and provides great examples of how to put shapes together to create designs. Another great book for a library or classroom collection! It’s a nice follow up to a book I recently read to my class, Where Oliver Fits by Cale Atkinson. 

Ages: 4-7

Grades: PreK – 2

Themes: shapes, individuality, persistence

Activities:

Draw/Write: Choose your favourite shape and make it your own! Add a face and other details to create a unique character. Write a few words or a sentence to explain what your shape can do!

Share: In the story, rolling makes Sam feel happy. What makes you feel happy? Share your ideas with your friends or your class if you like.  

STEM Challenge #1: Provide pattern blocks or assorted shapes. What designs can you make?

STEM Challenge #2: Provide squares. In the story, it says squares are good for measuring. How could you measure something using squares?

Compare & contrast: Read the book Scribble by Ruth Ohi. How is the shape art in this book different? What is the same?